Why Safety Belts Work

When riding in a vehicle, you travel as fast as the vehicle does. If the vehicle

When riding in a vehicle, you travel as fast as the vehicle does. If the vehicle stops suddenly, you keep going until something stops you. It could be the windshield, the instrument panel, or the safety belts!

When you wear a safety belt, you and the vehicle slow down together. There is more time to stop because you stop over a longer distance and, when worn properly, your strongest bones take the forces from the safety belts. That is why wearing safety belts makes such good sense.

    See also:

    Speedometer
    The speedometer shows the vehicle's speed in either kilometers per hour (km/h) or miles per hour (mph). ...

    Driver Safety Belt Reminder Light
    There is a driver safety belt reminder light on the instrument panel cluster. When the vehicle is started, this light flashes and a chime may come on to remind the driver to fasten their ...

    Compass
    The vehicle may have a compass display on the Driver Information Center (DIC). The compass receives its heading and other information from the Global Positioning System (GPS) antenna, StabiliTrak, a ...